InuYasha Fan Fiction / Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Sensei Exchange ❯ Mission One, Part II ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter Five:

Mission One, Part II

 

Ino tensed, turning on the spot, positive that she had seen something move out of the corner of her eye. Afterward, she sighed softly when she realized that it had only been a cat streaking across the entrance of an alley. However, it only took a moment before she realized that the cat had been white, and the thing she saw move had been black. It gave her enough time to brace herself as another cat stepped out of the shadows, seeming to melt away from them, its glittering black fur seeming to shine with starlight.

 

The feline was larger than most, its glittering black fur rippling with starlight as it took a single step away from the shadows of the alley. Its deep silver eyes were haunting, staring deeply into hers, as it allowed itself another step forward. However, the cat then stopped, its perked up ears beginning to settle down against its head as its eyes narrowed thoughtfully at her. It was hard to tell, but Ino thought that it was beginning to scent the air, its dark nose hidden within the black fur that surrounded it.

 

Ino was determined, wanting to show that she was not fooled by this strange creature, as she slipped her hand down to touch her concealed kunai. This morning had left her on edge, wondering at her Sunagakure sensei's strange words the day before. She had stated that they would know where they were going to meet when she did, and all morning she had been waiting for that signal, only for this strange cat to show itself. No, she was not going to be fooled, because there was no way this was a coincidence, and she was not sure what her new sensei wanted of her.

 

The large cat took another step forward, its ears perking up once more as it scented the air. Ino braced herself completely, her hand wrapping around her weapon, wondering if this was some type of summon, or if her sensei had abilities similar to Shikamaru. Then again, she also knew, as her grip tightened around the kunai, that this could be some sick prank being pulled on her—or another enemy shinobi attack. The feline seemed docile and friendly, but that could change in a moment, as it flew through the air to rip out her throat.

 

The fur along its shoulder rippled, the starlight affect increasing as it continued forward without hesitation. For a moment it seemed like the cat was glowing, but it became apparent a moment later, as it stepped forward again, that it was a trick of the sunlight off its back. The feline came to a stop only a few feet from Ino's position, settling itself down onto its hunches as it looked up at her with its haunting, silver eyes. Its long tail swished at its feet, lightly moving the dirt underneath it, as it waited.

 

Ino forced herself to stay alert, tensing her muscles as she watched the feline. Something in its eyes told her that it meant her no harm, but Ino was not about to make a mistake like that. No, because doing something stupid like that would mean that she was not meant, or worthy, of trying for Uchiha Sasuke's heart. She was not about to give that up to her rival, Sakura. So, instead she bit out, “What do you want?”

 

The feline tipped its head to one side, its ears moving to the side with the sound of a cart being rolled along one of the neighboring streets. Ino suddenly felt stupid for having asked the cat such a question, since it was obvious that it was not going to answer her. It was a cat! She should not have expected for it to be anything more, even if it appear to be odd among the strays that she often saw roaming for food.

 

“Me…me.”

 

Ino nearly jumped, her eyes snapping back down to the feline as it began to rub against her legs. However, she stared at the animal as it did so, a purr beginning to rise into the air as it arched its back against her skin, trying to receive more contact. She could have sworn for a moment she heard words, not a `meow' coming from the cat. But, when the feline did not make an attempt to meow or possibly speak again, she reached down in order to begin scratching its neck. Her thoughts of the animal being dangerous disappeared as it gave itself over to her touch, merely enjoying the attention.

 

Beginning to run her fingers down the feline's back, she listened to it purr as it pushed up into her hand. A smile formed onto her lips, enjoying the attention the strange creature was giving her as she gave it hers. Her hands retreated back to its head once they traveled down the tail, smoothing down the perked ears, over the shoulders, and then retracing her pervious path down its back. She shook her head a bit as its purring increased, asking, “Is this what you wanted? A little attention from someone?”

The feline suddenly paused in its purring, its ears standing on end as it turned its eyes to stare up at her. Its tail began to swish back and forth again, almost as if the cat was angered with something. Then, strangely, as the silver eyes caught Ino's blue ones, it turned its head from side to side. The action was so sudden that the hands caressing its fur stopped all together, shooting back as if burned.

 

“Did you just shake your head `no'?” Ino questioned.

 

This time she received an up and down motion.

 

Ino straightened, her eyes wide as she stared at the cat. Her thoughts of it being dangerous swam back into her mind, as she took a step backwards. Her eyes narrowed then, the question burning on her tongue spitting out as if poisoned. “What is it you want?” she asked.

 

“Me… me…” the feline began, then paused for a moment. “Me… co… me… co… me…”

 

Ino stiffened, having not expected a reply.

 

“Come,” the cat finally forced out. “Come.”

 

“Come?” Ino asked. She was given a nod. “Come where?”

 

“Come,” the feline stated again. Then, with a flick of its tail, it turned in order to begin trekking down the road. Only once it had traveled a good twenty feet did it turn its silver eyes to the frozen figure once more, “Come.”

 

Ino remained frozen for only a moment, wondering if she should truly follow this creature. However, as it turned to begin walking once more, she decided that she would take the risk of it being sent by an enemy shinobi. She was a kunoichi, she was not afraid to fight, nor was she afraid of a challenge of another shinobi. She would show them the strength that Konohagakure held, not turn away in fear. As she took a step forward to begin following the feline, though, she felt a bit of hope form in her chest, as she wished this creature truly belonged to her new sensei.

 

OoO

 

“AHHH!”

 

Inuyasha winched, bringing a hand up to hold onto his ear as the girl in his grasp screamed her head off. “Damn it, wench, shut up!” he commanded, his mind instantly clicking to when his female teammate had done the same thing a few times. However, he knew the differences between them, since his teammate had done it on purpose, and this girl was just scared shitless apparently.

 

Sakura's scream halted midway, her green eyes opening to see her new sensei staring down at her—well, glaring down at her. She gulped, unsettled by his strange golden stare, as his hand finally fell away from her arm. She mumbled a quick apology, since she had not meant to scream—she was a kunoichi, after all!—but he had fallen from the sky and grabbed her roughly. The action had been unexpected; since she had expected him to come up to her on the street, not jump from a nearby building to snatch her from the ground.

 

“Sakura, it is truly amazing how youthful you can be at this time of morning!” a voice shouted. “But it is not unexpected from someone of your beauty and skill!”

 

Sakura stiffened, her head turning to find Lee beaming happily at her. Her lips twitched, as she shifted her attention to her other squad member. Shikamaru was staring at her with a bored expression, his hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck as he turned his dark gaze to the sky above. Apparently, Inuyasha had come to collect them, as he had stated he would do, and she was the last one to be retrieved—and to make a fool of herself in front of her new teammates. She shifted her eyes again, and yes, her sensei was still glaring at her.

 

Inuyasha reached up to rub his ear, pressing his fingers against the shell and making gentle circles. His narrowed eyes did not leave the one who had caused the damage, though, as he growled. “God, you're fuckin' loud,” he muttered darkly. “You and that stupid Higurashi could win a freakin' contest if they ever decided to have one. Always yellin' peoples ears off. Who the hell do you two think you are, fuckin' angels that have fallen from fuckin' heaven?”

 

Lee's eyes suddenly burned with fire, his face twisting into a displeased expression. His hand fisted, as he began to defend both women from the words of his sensei. “Cursing at, or about a woman is un-youthful!” he started, but he was silenced when the fourteen year old twisted his head around to glare at him. That look shut him up, but he seethed on the inside, wondering how his new sensei could say such things about two beautiful, and youthful women. However, this was not Gai-sensei, and he knew that Gai-sensei would want him to make a good impression on the Sunagakure shinobi—which meant listening to his commands, silent or otherwise.

 

“This is so bothersome,” Shikamaru muttered softly. His hands slipped into his pockets, wondering how long he would have to deal with this for the day, since they were sure to have some type of test issued against them. It would be the best way for the Suna-nin to figure out their strengths and weaknesses, and the shinobi who was supposed to teach his squad looked like the fighting type. Yes, the day was beginning to slip downhill already, because that meant work on his part depending on how strong a jounin the shinobi was.

 

Inuyasha scowled, his eyes scanning over the miserable group that he had been given. Truly, he had no idea how he was going to whip these kids into shape, since one of them was lazy, one looked ready to kick his ass, and the other looked ready to die of embarrassment. His scowl became deeper at the thought, since he had wanted the Hyuuga and Uchiha Prodigies on his squad. Damn it, Kagome ends up with everything good, he huffed.

 

“Ah, sensei,” Sakura asked quietly.

 

Whipping his head around, Inuyasha stared into the girl's bright green eyes. She stiffened at the look on his face, and he nearly smirked at the slight hesitation forming in her eyes. After a moment, though, he growled, “Well, spit it out already!”

 

“Um,” Sakura gulped, “I was wondering where we're going to be doing.”

 

“You're going to follow me, that's what yer going to do,” Inuyasha commanded. “And if you don't keep up, I'm goin' to make your life a miserable piece of hell day in and day out. Do you got that?”

 

Sakura nodded, and watched as her new sensei spun on his heel to speed away. She soon went to follow after Lee and Shikamaru sped off after him, wishing for a moment that he had been more like Naruto. At least then she would not have tensed up suddenly, showing fear—which he obviously saw and enjoyed, the jerk—even when she knew that shinobi were not supposed to hint toward emotions. They were supposed to be silent, emotionless, never giving away anything that could give their opponent an edge. But, at that thought, she had to remind herself that this was not a new opponent, but a boy barely older than herself that was supposed to be teaching her for two weeks.

 

And she also supposed that her first impression could have been worse. The perfect example being when Naruto had placed that eraser above the classroom door before they met Kakashi-sensei, thus leading up to Kakashi-sensei telling them he hated them within the first few seconds. Though, as a jounin, he should have been able to tell that it was a trap and stepped out of the way before the eraser hit him on the head.

 

OoO

 

“Have a seat,” he ordered. A smirk rose onto his lips the moment they did so, though the lazy one did so with a sigh slowly. Really, even if the girl had a set of vocals that could easily kill his eardrum, and the other boy insisted on wearing that disgusting green that was nearly killing his eyes, he could get used to this. A squad ready to do as he commanded—anything he commanded—instead of stupid teammates that constantly challenged the fact that he was the strongest, therefore he should lead them when their sensei was nowhere to be seen.

 

However, though he was beginning to see why Chinatsu-sensei had decided to teach, even though she was clearly not right in the head, he figured there were some down sides. One being that his ears were still ringing. Another being that his eyes were beginning to hurt each time he glanced at that strange kid wearing spandex. Or that annoying sigh that he heard once again, even through the ringing, coming from the boy who had lain back on the grass to gaze up at the sky. They were reasons that he could not see why anyone would want to teach for a career, when they could be hacking away at an enemy on almost any mission.

 

“Alright, I'm here to teach you something,” Inuyasha stated. “I'm not here to be your friend. I'm not here to listen to your annoying whining about how you don't like something about me. And I'm not here in order for you to get two weeks off doing nothin'. But, I was told that I need to tell you somethin' about myself, no matter how much I told that dang Hokage of yours that you don't need to know anything to learn. So, listen up, and don't expect me to repeat myself, got it?”

 

Sakura nodded, her eyes flickering over to Lee when she noticed him leaning forward. A small twitch appeared on her brow, since he looked ready to take notes about whatever Inuyasha-sensei said. Maybe, she hoped, Lee would find something else to become crazy over while they were a squad together. Sure, putting that off on her sensei was not something she should do, but something she would do if she were given the chance.

 

Inuyasha frowned a bit, his arms crossing over his chest. “I'm from Suna, where I have been a shinobi for a long time, and was given the position of jounin. I've got a womanizer for a father, a docile mother, and an ANBU half-brother that's got a ten-foot pole up his ass. I like my rank because I get more dangerous missions, which means that I normally get to fight against someone that's actually worth fighting against. And no matter what anyone tells you, I'm the strongest of my genin squad!”

 

Shikamaru flicked his eyes over toward the Sunagakure shinobi, his mind translating the words that left his mouth. He liked violence, that was a given. He did not get along with his brother, was beginning to get annoyed with his father's constant womanizing, and though he loved his mother, he hated the fact that she was not as strong as the rest of his family. But, the thing that stood out against the rest was that the shinobi thought more of himself than he should, since those who were the best usually did not flaunt it as much.

 

He sighed, since it was just his luck that he would end up with a sensei that wanted nothing more than to beat them into the ground. That meant that he would have to defend himself, which also meant that he would have to put some effort into doing so. Sure, the shinobi before him did not seem like the type to think before he attacked, but he had to be very strong to have become a jounin at such a young age. The thoughts caused him to sigh again, wondering just how much effort he would have to put into it, since he knew nothing of the shinobi's style or strongest element.

 

Though, he did know that he had a strong wind jutsu that could only be countered with other strong winds. And man, did he hate having to try and do wind style techniques.

 

“You got that?” Inuyasha practically growled. Then, he shook his head, turning himself toward the trees. He continued after a moment, “Well, even if you didn't, I'm not saying it again. A shinobi shouldn't have to have something stated twice.”

 

“I understand, Inuyasha-sensei!” Lee spoke up with enthusiasm. “So, I will try my best to show you that I, too, am a strong shinobi!”

 

Inuyasha's eye twitched again as the boy brought his hands up into a thumbs-up position. “Right,” Inuyasha drawled out. “You're Rock Lee, aren't you?”

 

“Yes, Inuyasha-sensei,” Lee nodded.

 

“Kankurou told me that you're a taijutsu specialist,” Inuyasha snorted. “He also told me that the Kazekage beat you up pretty bad before he was given his new position. How in the hell are you even walking around?”

 

Sakura smiled, “Tsunade-sama is an excellent healer, Inuyasha-sensei. She patched Lee up without much trouble soon after she arrived in the village.”

 

Lee nodded, turning to smile at his crush.

 

Inuyasha twisted his scowl into a small frown. “I've heard that your Hokage is pretty good when it comes to healing, but I didn't think she'd be able to heal someone who's been mutilated by Kazekage-sama's sand. She must be strong,” his eyes gleamed. “However, you must be pretty strong yourself, kid, for having survived afterward long enough for her to arrive.”

 

“To show others that I can be strong is my dream,” Lee's eyes twinkled. “I would never allow such minor wounds to stop me from continuing my training and proving thus.”

 

Sakura huffed, “Those weren't minor wounds, Lee!”

 

Lee's smile brightened, “Of course they were, Sakura! But I am happy that you were worried for my health!”

 

Inuyasha growled, “Whatever. I just wanted to point out that you better use everything you've got, because you first mission isn't going to be an easy one. And I'm going to give you one hell of a time completing it.”

 

“Mission?” Sakura asked. God, she hoped that it was not anything like Kakashi-sensei's task. She did not think she could withstand another genjutsu that made her believe her beloved Sasuke was dead. Kakashi-sensei had just been cruel when he used that against her.

 

“That's right,” Inuyasha smirked cruelly. “So, I suggest you get off yer lazy asses' and come up with a plan, because I plan on keeping you runnin' until sundown.” His hand slid down to the hilt of his sword, and he pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath, allowing the gleaming blade to shine in the sunlight. Almost instantly his chakra began to extend down the weapon, essentially making it apart of his body. Then, with a deep chuckle, he stalked forward, intent on showing these Konohagakure shinobi a thing or two about fighting.

 

Shikamaru sighed, wishing that for once he could have been wrong.

 

OoO

 

Ino paused in step, watching the cat as it bound forward. Streaks of black were left in its wake, increasing in size with each passing moment. However, she was more interested in the shadowed figure standing close to one of the buildings—for a moment, she almost thought it might have been someone of the Nara family. Then, as the figure turned, showing their face at last, two more cats came racing into the area. A sigh left her lips with the realization that the person standing before her was indeed her new sensei, before her attention turned to the huffing Chouji, and silent Shino, as they arrived.

 

“Co… meow,” the cats cried as one. The instant the sound rose into the air, they turned to blurs, racing toward one another. As they crashed together, a glimmer of silver light twinkled into and out of existence. Smoke filled the air, but as it cleared, a dark figure rose up from the ground.

 

Ino allowed her eyes to widen, “A clone?”

 

Sango chuckled, “That's right. I created this jutsu—the ability to condense a clone into three separate beings of a different species. They are not able to do much of anything when it comes to fighting, but they are excellent at tracking, relaying messages, and escaping detection when there are enemy shinobi about. Especially when you have one stubborn squad member that likes shooting off in search of a fight, and another that chases after them to try and stop the chaos, leaving you with the boring part of the mission.”

 

The clone reached up to adjust the weapon strapped to its back, before disappearing in a small poof. It appeared to the distance observer that it had simply run out of chakra, but to the newly formed squad four, it was clear that their sensei had dismissed the copy of herself.

 

“Cool,” Chouji muttered, popping open another bag of chips. He reached inside not a moment later, pulling out a few to stuff into his mouth. “'rat kind of `hing must come in handy on really `mportant missions, huh?”

 

Ino rolled her eyes. “Can't you talk when your mouth isn't full, Chouji?”

 

“Well, I could,” he said between bites. “But I don't want to, Ino.”

 

Sango shook her head, listening as the blonde female muttered about how disgusting he always was. Allowing her eyes to sweep over them, she sighed, “I guess we should get down to business. My name is Sango, and your Hokage has instructed me to tell you a little about myself, considering the circumstances. As you know, I am from Suna, which means that I should be more prone to using wind style jutsu. However, over the years I have found myself more drawn to fire style jutsu, though my friends would probably tell you that I am more of a weapon expert.”

 

Noticing that she had their attention, she pulled a bit at the strap of her Hiraikotsu. “I do not think that telling you my likes or dislikes is all that important, and since we're only going to be together for a short amount of time, I also do not think you need to be aware of my ambitions. However, I will tell you that I do not tolerate disrespect, and I will not be the type of sensei that will allow you to sit around and figure everything out through sheer dumb luck. I will push you, whether you like it or not, which is the exact reason that I will be putting you through a mission I have designed this morning,” she finished.

 

“Don't you think it's a little too early to be putting us through a mission, Sango-sensei?” Ino asked. “I might be stuck with Chouji again, but we've never worked with Shino. Wouldn't it be more reasonable if we given at least a few hours to try and work together?”

 

“In a way,” Sango nodded. “However, this mission is meant to push you, to force you to work together, even if you have never been asked to do so before. In higher level missions, you will often times be placed onto a squad where you do not know any of the people surrounding you, and you have a few scarce minutes to figure out the strengths you have together. You are often times thrown into danger, and though you learn that you will not always be the winner, you will have to learn to work together on short notice. After all, a real mission is never practice, and many times you get one chance to do it right, or die.”

 

That single word got their full attention, as they gazed at the fourteen-year-old standing before them. Her lips had drawn into a grim line, her eyes shining with a seriousness that left them each nervous in their own way. However, even with that feeling coursing through their body, they watched as she pulled the heavy boomerang from her back and forced one end into the ground, allowing it to stand upright. After she had discarded the weapon, she brought her hand to her mouth, bit into her thumb until she drew blood, and extended her arm toward the ground.

 

“Summoning Jutsu!”

 

OoO

 

Inuyasha spun on the spot, his feet sliding over the ground as he arched Tetsusaiga toward the sky. Chakra coursed down the blade from his fingertips, slicing through the air currents as he shouted, “Wind Scar!”

 

Sakura tensed on the spot, seeing the streaks of light heading straight for them. Her fisted hands turned white, and she felt the color drain from her face. A tiny voice shouted in the back of her head to get moving, that the Suna-nin would kill her if she did not defend herself. However, as the ripping winds drew closer, the height increasing with each passing second, she felt her heart stop.

 

“Sakura!”

 

Hands grabbed at her arms, pulling her away from the blinding light as it drew near. Sakura barely had time to register that someone had rescued her from death, because her heart finally began to pound away. Adrenaline pumped into her system at a rapid pace, as the voice in her head began to shout about how stupid—utterly stupid!—she was. Her head was pressed against a flat chest, held there by a single hand, but she continued to think about how right that voice had been at that moment.

 

Dang it, she had become Tsunade's pupil! She was not supposed to freeze up like she used to! And especially not when it was during a life and death situation, since it would most likely lead to her death! Where had her nerve gone? Had it decided to suddenly flutter out the window to fly with the butterflies, instead of staying at home where it was needed? Such pretty butterflies they must be, too, for her nerve to decide at such a time to pack up and leave.

 

Her eyebrow twitched, for surely her current thoughts meant that she was experiencing some type of breakdown. Most likely one of the mind. True, she did not think that insanity would come onto her this early in life, but it was always a possibility. Especially when she had had to spend so much time around Naruto—who constantly fought with Sasuke—and then froze up like in the chuunin exams after she had promised herself never to do so again. Yes, insanity seemed like the most likely illness that she could possess.

 

“Sakura, are you hurt?”

 

Sakura blinked, looking up into the face of Lee. His worried expression caused her heart to twitch a bit, but she quickly stomped down the feeling. Lee was odd, and Sasuke would be her one and only as soon as he realized how much he loved her. She did not need to get emotional because Lee had given her a worried, oh so caring look. “I—I'm fine, Lee,” she gulped.

 

Lee sighed in relief, “I'm so happy you're alright, Sakura. I almost thought for a moment I would not be able to reach you when Inuyasha-sensei attacked. I promise you that because I was almost not quick enough to save you, I will run a hundred—no, two hundred laps around Konoha once this mission is over! I will not fail in protecting you, I promise!”

 

“Lee, you don't have to do that,” Sakura frowned at him. “I'm not hurt. You did save me. There's no reason to beat yourself up when you've done nothing wrong.”

 

“Thank you, Sakura!” Lee smiled excitedly. “But, I simply cannot take your humble offering. Inuyasha-sensei will prove to be an awesome opponent, but I cannot stand the thought of you becoming injured during times like these. So, I will do everything in my power to become stronger. I promise you that I will not allow you to get in the crossfire, even if I must take a blow myself.”

 

“Lee…”

 

“This is going to be so bothersome,” Shikamaru drew their attention.

 

“Shikamaru?” Sakura blinked. She had not even realized that he had been standing there. She guessed that it could be because of her lapse in sanity, or the fact that her heart was still going a thousand miles a minutes. Now that she thought about it, she could feel the chakra signals around her with more ease, a sharpness that only came upon her when there was trouble brewing. So, she stated quietly, “I don't think we should stay here much longer.”

 

Shikamaru glanced at her. He did not feel anything yet. True, it was best not to stay in one place for too long when there was someone crazed and out for his opponent's death, but they had barely wasted a full five minutes in their current spot. He doubted that there was any reason for them to pack up and move just yet—perhaps in five more minutes, though. It would be for the best, especially when he had not been able to calculate the range his new sensei's wind jutsu could travel in while running.

 

“No,” Sakura said when Lee tried to reassure her. “I really don't think we should stay here much longer. We could be in serious danger, whether we know it or no—”

 

The sound of whipping wind drew their attention toward the darkness of the forest around them. It was very similar to a faint scrapping of metal in the still night, as they gazed into the trees. Not a moment later, however, white began to overtake the darkness hiding them away from the rest of the world. It ripped through the blackness much like the attack riding upon its wings was ripping through the trees within its way. As soon as it registered that the sound was familiar, the increasing light had come for them once before, they were given scarce moments to get out of the jutsu's way.

 

Shikamaru raced by first, but as soon as he did, Lee grabbed ahold of Sakura's arms to lift her from her position. The taijutsu master wasted no time in flipping her up bridal style, before rushing in the direction his other teammate had gone. Lee knew that Shikamaru was very smart, to the point of genius like Neji, and he would be able to come up with a plan the way his former teammate always did. Until then, though, he would protect Sakura.

 

“Lee!” Sakura screamed. “This isn't necessary!”

 

OoO

 

Shino narrowed his eyes behind his glasses at the small twin-tailed cat now held by his new instructor. He had nothing to fear from a tiny kitten, but something in his bones told him that that cat was not as it seemed. In fact, from the glance it had given him, it was almost as if it knew more about him than he did about it. And, not only that, but he could feel the anticipation of the insects housed inside his body. His body became tense, because it was not often that they managed to draw forth emotions such as anxiousness.

 

Ino could not help but sequel, “Oh, how cute!”

 

Shino shifted his stance, watching as his sensei stroked the feline's fur. She was smiling, nodding at Ino's words, but there was something about the way her shoulders moved. As if she was trying to contain her laughter, though he could not possibly think of a single thing she could be laughing about.

 

“Her name is Kirara,” Sango smiled. “Her summoning pact has been handed down through my family since my ancestor, Midoriko, befriended her. She is loyal and true, and absolutely adorable!”

 

Chouji shook his head, stating plainly, “Women.”

 

Shino agreed with him. He would never admit it, but originally he had merely nodded and wondered about what in the world Hinata was talking about most of the time. When it had come to more serious matters, he understood, but whenever she spoke of girl things he had been lost. He supposed that he could silently thank Kiba for having noticed, though at the time he had not appreciated his help. In fact, he had almost wished he had not been his teammate at the time—at least then his bugs could have had a nice treat.

 

Shame he appreciated Kiba's help nowadays.

 

Sango shook her head, her face returning to a serious look. “However, Kirara is here for a very important part of my mission for you. I took this idea from Kagome when she told me about her sensei's test for her team years ago. It will require you retrieving from Kirara a scroll and only with this scroll will you be allowed to pass the barrier I have set up in a clearing to the west of here. I will be waiting within for you to come and try to take from me one of these ribbons.” She tapped one of the long pieces of cloth hanging from her waist, but secured well enough that even during combat they would not manage to fall. “But be warned, Kirara and I have a few tricks up our sleeve that might surprise you.”

 

He cast his eyes over the twin-tailed feline, noticing that already tied around her neck was a decorative cloth. However, at the back it was rolled over upon itself, as if holding something. Shino was willing to bet that their sensei had already thought ahead of time and rolled the scroll they were supposed to retrieve into that cloth. The scroll must be quite small, considering that the feline was a bit smaller in structure than Akamaru.

 

Sango knelt down, placing the cat in her arms onto the ground gently. She stroked the fur on her head a few times, smoothing over the diamond shape on her forehead. A small smile appeared on her lips when her loyalist companion opened her red orbs, and through her purring gave a small mew of acceptance. Giving the feline a final few pats to the head, she said, “Thank you, Kirara.”

 

“Sensei?” Ino asked.

 

The Suna-nin rose to her feet, stepped back from the cat she had placed onto the ground, and turned toward them. As her hand slipped into the strap of her giant weapon, she said, “Kirara will move once you are allowed to begin. I don't expect you to manage to subdue her long enough to get the scroll within a small amount of time, but it is a precaution on my part. After all, if you have managed to get the scroll and come after me, you would be stupid not to attack me for your ribbon even as I was running.” She hefted the boomerang from the ground, and lifted her eyes to give them a piercing look. In a flash, she was gone.

 

He glanced down at the tiny feline at their feet, waiting for this movement that she was supposed to do when they were allowed to begin. He tensed, already feeling a few of his bugs seeping from his flesh and moving to where the feline sat. A few climbed onto her fur, acting as trackers for when she disappeared, while others began to feed on her chakra. The cat did not seem to mind their movement, but did move a bit to scratch behind her ear. Shino found it strange, for surely the cat could realize that her chakra was being depleted bit by bit already, yet had not moved to dispatch even one of the insects now resting in her fur.

 

The feline mewed suddenly, causing Ino to jump slightly. Chouji laughed at her, saying, “Geeze, Ino, there's no reason to become so tense. It's only a c-c—whoa!” He stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth in excitement when the feline suddenly burst into flames. They rose to the size of a good-sized horse, before finally they were extinguished with a good shake of the feline's fur. His eyes became wide when he noticed the rapid change the feline had gone through, since it had become the size of a small couch at least. A shiver raced down his spine, though, when the beast opened its mouth and let out a mighty roar, showing off the gleaming fangs that extended past its jaw.

 

Shino did not even need to call upon his bugs to know that the fire had destroyed them. So, he instantly allowed more to exit his body and travel toward the large feline. The cat saw them coming, though, and he was forced to merely tell them to follow her instead of track her when she moved into the forest. Hopefully she did not move forever and a few managed to relay the position she took to him before they were destroyed. However, he knew that his tension had been justified, since it became apparent as the feline moved that she was a fire and wind style creature.

 

She tensed up from the fire, watching as the cat streaked away from them. Kirara appeared to be riding on the wind, fire blossoming around her legs as she raced deep into the forest. Without really thinking, Ino shouted, “What are we waiting for? After her!”

 

Shino reached forward, grabbing his new female teammate, “No, not yet.”

 

Ino turned to stare into his glasses, huffing, “What do you mean not yet?”

 

“It would make more sense to come up with a reasonable strategy before we go charging into action,” Shino replied.

 

Blinking, Ino silently agreed with him. However, she shrugged the Aburame's hand from her arm, since she had always found the clan slightly intimidating. Especially when she thought about how many bugs were underneath his skin, feeding off his chakra in exchange for their services. “Right,” she nodded, “that would make more sense.”

 

Chouji huffed, “You should have known that from being around Shikamaru so much, Ino.”

 

Ino turned to him, exploding, “SHUT UP, Chouji!”

 

Chouji began to munch on another chip. “Vell, `ts truu.”

 

OoO

 

Sakura twirled the kunai on her fingers, watching the scene before her for any sudden movements. Shikamaru's plan had taken a lot more time than she had thought it would, but she had finally set up her final trap and made sure to spread her scent through most of the foliage surrounding the around. She had watched him explain to Lee his purpose in their plan, distraction, before going to find a position where he could hide after he raced around the clearing, rubbing his scent against trees and bushes.

 

Apparently he had realized how well Inuyasha's kekkei genkai made his nose.

 

Sakura was almost surprised with how smart Shikamaru was considering his laziness. Sasuke was a prodigy, a genius in his own right, but she had to admit that though Sasuke could overpower Shikamaru in strength, Shikamaru would probably overpower him using his head. Then again, she knew that they probably would never fight each other, and if they did, Shikamaru would know his limit and grow bored enough that he quit. He had done the same thing during the chuunin exams fighting Temari, since he knew how long he could hold out and quit before Temari was able to escape him and retaliate. He truly was a genius, because even though a shinobi did not quit until a mission was complete or impossible to complete, he knew how to back out when he needed to, instead of getting himself killed or extremely injured.

 

Glancing up from Lee's bouncing form on the forest floor, Sakura noticed that a lot more time had past than she originally thought. The sun was further in the sky than she had thought it should be, proving how much time it had taken to escape Inuyasha a second time. Their sensei had decided that since they now knew what to look for when he blasted them with his ultimate wind style, he was going to use more close range techniques. She sighed, because if it had not been for Lee's excellent taijutsu and speed, she doubted they all would have escaped without a scratch. She was sure that she would have gotten hurt in some fashion and failed them all.

 

A rustle came from the foliage beyond the trees, and Sakura glanced up to see where it came from. She frowned when she heard chuckling, since it was clear their new sensei thought they were going to be an extremely easy target. However, she was ready to prove that in the toughest of situations Konohagakure shinobi were able to find a solution. Of course, the solution to their problem had come from Shikamaru, but she knew that he was a genius, and Inuyasha did not seem to be the most intelligent person.

 

“You three are so easy to catch,” Inuyasha stated as he came through the trees. His sword was settled onto his shoulder, and he swiftly brought it down in an arch to point toward the ground. “I'm actually surprised, since I thought shinobi were supposed to be taught how to be silent assassins.” He laughed, “I could have heard you three all the way from the Hokage Tower.”

 

Sakura noticed the way his ears twitched, and held herself as still as she possibly could. It seemed that they had not put into account that Inuyasha could also hear quite well with those puppy-dog ears on top of his head. His nose was good, too, but they had not done anything to stop him from hearing their movements. She bit her lip at the realization, because no matter where they hid, if they made a lot of noise like they had earlier, he would find them.

 

Inuyasha's nose twitched, as his eyes flickered to the side a few times. Looks like that Shikamaru kid if a lot better than I thought, he muttered to himself. I doubt even Sesshoumaru would be able to pinpoint them exactly with their scent everywhere. However, they're stupid to think that my only heightened scent is smell. Tch, looks like he's not as smart as I thought he was.

 

Lee moved, the sound of bells coming from the movement.

 

Inuyasha swung his head toward the green covered shinobi. His eyes narrowed when Lee took another small step, because the tiny sound of bells caught in his ears and he focused onto him. A growl came from his throat, since he had been positive Shikamaru had not thought of everything. Seems he had not given the kid enough credit, because he could already feel his senses focusing on hearing the tiny sound coming from Lee's body. He already knew that because of it he would have a hard time focusing on anything else unless it was so loud it distracted him. “Alright, it looks like it's just you and me for now, kid.”

 

“That may be so, Inuyasha-sensei,” Lee replied, “but soon it will only be me.”

 

“Doubt it,” Inuyasha snorted.

 

Lee rushed forward, his speed giving him an advantage as he spun to deliver a crushing blow to Inuyasha's side. However, the other shinobi turned out to be quite fast, grabbing his foot and bringing his other arm up to block his second kick. Managing to escape his sensei's clawed fingers, Lee threw a punch toward his jaw, avoiding the sharp edge of his blade when he brought it down. His fist connected with Inuyasha's shoulder as he moved to avoid being hit in the face, but it only gave Lee another opportunity to send his other fist into the fray.

 

Inuyasha took a step back, increasing his speed when he realized just how fast Lee's movements were. He had not expected this type of speed from a genin, but he supposed that if his only specialty was taijutsu, he had to have something to back it up. A growl forced its way out of his throat, while he brought his arm up to escape another hit to the face. His feet dug into the ground, and he braced himself when he found an opening in Lee's seemingly endless series of punches. He took the moment, ducking underneath Lee's arm and swinging the blunt side of his sword to trip the quick genin.

 

Lee sprang from the ground, landed on his hands, and jumped back to his feet within a second. He quickly got back into his stance, his eyes searching for a small gap in his sensei's defenses. He found one. Running forward, Lee barely escaped another swing of Inuyasha's sword, before he dropped completely to the ground and swept his feet out from under him. However, Inuyasha caught himself on one hand and managed to push up from the ground to flip back onto his feet. By that time, Lee had already moved, knowing his goal was just a few more feet to the right.

 

Inuyasha turned, escaping a kick that slammed harshly into the ground. A smirk worked its way onto his face, since he was glad these kids were not going to simply roll over and let him win. However, his eyes watched Lee's movements, until he finally came up with the perfect way to send the taijutsu specialist into a state of unconsciousness. He waited only a few moments, allowing Lee to take another shot at his face, and when his fist nearly connected, Inuyasha pushed himself so that it looked like Lee had gotten the hit.

 

Lee's eyes widened in surprise, because he knew that he had not managed to hit the other shinobi. However, he could not say that luck was not on his side, because Inuyasha foolishly righted himself on the spot Lee had meant to drive him back to. He was lifting his sword, intending to send a powerful jutsu at him no doubt, but Lee glanced upward and shouted, “Shikamaru!”

 

Something groaned, and Inuyasha paused in his attack, turning his head to find the source. His eyes widened when he realized that a log was flying at him. He jumped to avoid it, only to turn his head around sharply when he heard the sound of metal flying through the air. He was about to turn and use his sword to deflect them when another set came flying at him from the opposite direction. Thinking quickly, he cursed and dropped Tetsusaiga, bringing his hands up to create a seal that he knew he would not have accomplished if he had sheathed his weapon.

 

Rolling underneath the weapons swiftly, Lee grabbed the weapon his sensei had dropped and escaped being impaled on the weapons by seconds. The sword in hand, he turned his head to realize that Inuyasha had melted down into a pile of sand that surrounded the shuriken and kunai. A substitution that he was positive all shinobi from Suna could perform.

 

“You all think you're pretty smart, don't ya?”

 

Lee turned his head, stilling when he realized that Inuyasha was holding Sakura above the ground by her neck. “Sakura,” he whispered. She was struggling, pulling at Inuyasha's wrist and hand in hopes of escaping. Her feet were trying to kick at his shins and groin, but the Suna-nin held her at arm's length at his side to avoid being hit. Lee's eyes were attracted more to her face, though, because it was clear that Sakura was not receiving enough oxygen as she began to turn colors.

 

“Well, I'll have ya know that I never planned to give you an easy win,” Inuyasha growled. “So, I hope you can come up with something quick, because I could snap this girl's pretty little neck faster than any of you could move.”

 

Shikamaru appeared at his side, “But you can't do that.”

 

“Tch, like hell I can't,” Inuyasha smirked. “Our Kazekage used to be a cold blooded killer before he went to the chuunin exams. I don't think he'll be too opposed to a little girl being killed because she got caught in the crossfire.”

 

“Let Sakura go!” Lee shouted.

 

Shikamaru grabbed his arm before he could move. He sighed, saying, “That's not what I meant. When I said you couldn't do that, I was going to explain that I was talking about your idea of making us come up with a better plan.”

 

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, “And why the hell can't I?” His fingers tightened around the girl's neck, cutting off her supply of oxygen a bit more. She had almost ceased struggling before the boy had spoken, and he wondered if perhaps she had a thing for him. He would not be surprised if she did, though he had seen her and that blonde chick fighting for the Uchiha boy.

 

“Because you don't have Sakura,” Shikamaru said softly. He turned his head toward the sky, “I knew that you'd find a way through my scent trick, so as you were fighting with Lee, I told Sakura to create a clone of herself. That's what you're holding right now.”

 

Lee blinked, a smile beginning to stretch out across his face. He watched as Sakura stilled, grinned, and popped out of existence within Inuyasha's grasp. “That's brilliant!” he exclaimed, bringing his hands up in front of his face. “You truly could rival Neji, Shikamaru!”

 

Shikamaru shrugged, “Whatever.”

 

Inuyasha stared at his hand, disbelief swarming through his head. He had been so sure that he had grabbed the girl. He had been positive that she was the real thing when he took a quick sniff at her. However, he snarled when he realized he had underestimated the kid to the point that he had gotten one over his head. “Not that it matters,” he hissed, “I can still kick your asses' even without my sword and a reason for you to slip up.”

 

“Actually,” Shikamaru sighed again, “I think you should have a look behind you.”

 

Inuyasha paused, his fingers still twitching at the idea of tearing into the flesh of these genin. His ear swung around when he heard the noise, and he turned his head to find that another trap had been set for him. More weapons were flying at him, and when he turned around to look at the two boys, they were gone, the only sign they were still in the area the near silent sound of strings snapping as they made their escape. Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head, while he stood within the range of the multiples of weapons flying at him from all sides. He had no idea where they had hidden so many, but he was not about to let them knock him out of the game with something like this.

 

OoO

 

Chouji held onto his shoulder as Ino checked him over. The plan had been very well thought out, but it seemed that they had not been expecting the summon to be quite so strong. He pouted a bit when he realized that his last bag of chips had been lost to the feline's claws, since it appeared when she managed to snag a blow at his shoulder her claws had been brought down on the bag. The chips were scattered over the ground now, and as he gazed around at them, he wanted nothing more than to get revenge on the blasted feline.

 

“Hold still, Chouji,” Ino hissed. “I have to wrap this before you bleed too much.”

 

“But we have to get moving!” Chouji complained.

 

Shino blinked behind his glasses. A sigh left his lips, though it went unseen behind the high collar of his jacket. He almost wished that Chouji had given this much spirit when trying to distract the cat earlier; instead of after his snack had been taken from him. “The cat has not moved very far. She has only gone far enough away so that we cannot see her, but she is waiting and watching to see what we do,” he stated calmly. “There is no need to go flying into battle with her once again at the moment.”

 

Ino glanced up, shivering a bit, since she knew how Shino had gotten his information. It gave her shivers to think about how may bugs were crawling underneath his flesh, eating away at his chakra in exchange for serving him. She had never understood the Aburame Clan and she never wished to understand them. “He's right, Chouji. Besides, we can always get you another snack after this mission is over,” she told him.

 

“Alright, but you're paying, Ino!” Chouji stated loudly.

 

Ino's eye twitched, “Who said anything about me wanting to help you pig out? Chouji, how many times must I tell you that pretty girls like a boy who has worked hard to remain in shape! At this rate you're never going to get a girlfriend, and that would make me look like a bad teammate because I've tried who knows how many times already!”

 

“If you're so worried about it, then why don't you try dating me yourself?” Chouji asked. He liked Ino, but not in the way that he had just suggested. She was like his sister in a way, an annoying one, but family nonetheless. And he knew that though Ino did not want to admit it, she liked Shikamaru more than she was willing to tell. She might go on and on about how much she loved Uchiha Sasuke, but he knew that she would move on and see her heart was set on Shikamaru.

 

Ino gasped, “Ew! My heart belongs to Sasuke-kun, and Sasuke-kun only! How could you even suggest such a thing, Chouji, when you know how I feel? Especially when Sasuke-kun would think I could settle for less and turn his back on me?”

 

Shino watched their interaction, before asking, “Don't you think you should finish wrapping his shoulder? This mission will never be finished if we don't hurry and retrieve the scroll from the feline.”

 

Ino stiffened, but nodded, “Right.”

 

After the bandages were applied to Chouji's shoulder, though he was rubbing the wound at the slap Ino had given him, they moved on once more. Shino was quick to receive the feline's location, and they sped into the forest once more after her. A jerk of the head sent Chouji into the forest in one direction, and Ino went in the other direction, both knowing their part. This time they would not give the cat a chance to escape or sink her claws—or fangs—into one of them. This time they would send out their attacks at the extra moment they were supposed to and retrieve the scroll from around the feline's neck.

 

Chouji caught sight of the feline first, and adrenaline pumped through his system as he thought of his last encounter with the oversized cat. He doubted the feline had meant to kill him, but he had no doubt his wound would have been a lot worse if Shino had not managed to knock the cat away with a barrier of insects. However, he pushed the thought of his could have been death and went into action. The moment his hand seals were finished, he felt his arm expanding, and sent out the attack to slam into the ground before the feline.

 

Kirara was startled for only a moment, before a roar left her throat. However, she was not given a chance to move away from the giant arm when the chakra-stealing insects surrounded him. She swatted at them, the fire around her paws destroying many of them. Many more replaced them, though, and she growled when she was completely surrounded within the swarm, many attempting to get close enough to steal her chakra. Her ear flicked to the side a moment later, before she jumped through the swarm to avoid the kunai that had been thrown to snag the cloth around her neck.

 

Shino came from the forest, the special insects already moving at his command. Ino had the feline distracted, as Kirara turned to hiss at her. Chouji appeared on the feline's other side, ready and able to turn the cat's attention toward him should she prove too much for their female companion. Shino watched closely, hoping that the different species of insect would not be detected by the cat and thus not destroyed before they could complete their mission. It was not often that he tried to use anything other than his own bugs, but at the moment he knew he had no other choice.

 

Kirara snarled at the female as she twisted another weapon into her hand. Opening her mouth, she roared again, noticing the way the female tensed at the sound. Kirara used that moment to cut through more of the insects blocking her path, fire licking around her form from her paws to destroy the mass. However, they filled the area and even though she had been given a chance to escape the female's intentions, it appeared she was not going to be given that chance. And even so, Kirara knew the male she had struck earlier was standing at her opposite side and the second was behind her.

 

He watched as the insects landed and began eating away at the cloth wrapped around the feline's neck. Shino almost could not contain the nervousness that nearly overcame him when the bugs had landed, but gave a soft sigh when they continued to eat away at the fabric. The feline did not seem to notice them, even as the fire consumed many of his bugs around her, and she made small movements to avoid Ino or Chouji's weaponry. She seemed to know that the more she moved the more excited the bugs became, which gave them a greater advantage of eating away at the chakra she was using.

 

Ino tensed, because she could see the thin black line forming on the black fabric secured around Kirara's neck. She watched for any sudden movements on the feline's part, since she knew that she could deal a great bit of damage even without the fire or wind on her side. The wound she had patched up on Chouji proved that much, and she did not want to be subjected to those claws or worse. She threw another kunai at random after Chouji decided to throw one, keeping the feline on her toes and distracted even though a cloud of bugs surrounded her. Ino shivered at the sight, since she had always hated bugs.

 

Kirara felt it the moment it happened, the cloth slipping from around her neck and falling to the ground. She was confused for a moment, as she turned her head down to look at the fallen fabric. However, she made no move to pick it up, because she knew what her objective had been. Instead, she gave a loud cry to signal to her mistress, sent a wave of fire to destroy the insects before her, and rocketed into the forest beyond. She had used quite a bit of chakra to maintain the constant need for fire around her body, so she allowed herself to shrink into her first form and moved to seek out her mistress. Perhaps a place to nap, too.

 

OoO

 

“I could have sworn it was actually Sakura he had,” Lee muttered.

 

Sakura smiled, “He would have, if Shikamaru had not come to tell me to create a clone of myself and hide nearby. I almost thought he was going to turn and find me, but he only sniffed at the clone and grabbed ahold of it. I was rather surprised, because I thought his nose would have picked up the difference in scent.”

 

Shikamaru nodded, “His nose is powerful.”

 

They turned to him, before Sakura asked, “What are you thinking, Shikamaru?”

 

He closed his eyes, and put his fingers together the way she had seen him do during the chuunin exams against Temari. Sakura wondered again at the reason he did such a thing, but allowed him the silence to think. Instead she turned to Lee, noticing him staring at Shikamaru, waiting for him to finish with his thinking. She was surprised that Lee could be so quiet, but supposed there were probably a lot of things she did not know about the taijutsu master. She had not enjoyed the thought of being stuck on his squad, but she supposed that having a strong teammate like him was not something she could complain about.

 

“Sakura?”

 

Sakura was startled for a moment, but asked, “Yes, Shikamaru?”

 

“Do you have your medic-nin supplies on you?” Shikamaru asked.

 

Sakura nodded, “Yeah. Why do you need them?”

 

“The greatest ability any shinobi has can turn out to be their greatest weakness,” Shikamaru explained. “Inuyasha-sensei's nose is powerful, so powerful that it might rival that of a nin-dog's. If that is the case, it can be turned against him if his opponent has something that overpowers his sense of smell.”

 

Sakura's eyes brightened in understanding. “I see, we need something that we can stick under his nose and he'll be knock unconscious from the scent.” It was another brilliant plan, and she had no doubt that it was brilliant, because Shikamaru's last one had got them out of a situation that could have turned nasty. “I've heard a few Inuzuka complaining about ink because the scent is so strong that their nin-dog's have to build up a tolerance to it before they can be around it. But even then they can't be subjected to it for very long because their nin-dog will eventually grow faint.”

 

Shikamaru considered this. “Do you have anything that could rival the smell of ink on you?” he asked.

 

“Um,” Sakura thought, “I don't think so.”

 

Shikamaru sighed, “How troublesome.”

 

“B-but,” Sakura was quick to come back, “I do know of an herb that has a very powerful scent. Tsunade-sama made me work with it for a while because it increases the chance of a wound healing if a medic-nin is low of chakra. I know where you can find some, too, because Tsunade-sama made me look for some in case I ever found myself in a situation that I would need it. It grows in small patches, but it can be found in a lot of the training areas.”

 

Lee grinned, “Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find this herb!”

 

Shikamaru rose from his seated position, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Glancing down at the girl at his feet, he stated, “Well, you know where to find it, let's go.”

 

Sakura rose, nodding, “Right.”

 

OoO

 

Ino clenched the scroll in her hand as they neared the barrier. She had unraveled it from the fabric and looked it over to find that it was as ordinary as any other scroll would be. However, she knew that even the simplest of things could turn out to have a large secret behind them. And she was positive as they raced toward the barrier that they were about to find out exactly how the scroll worked.

 

They cleared the trees with ease, and saw Sango standing behind the barrier with her boomerang in hand. She was watching them closely, waiting, and Ino stepped forward with the scroll in her hand. Ino was not quite sure what to do with it, but she decided at the last moment to try the easiest thing—throwing it at the barrier. She was actually rather surprised when she saw Sango smile, the Suna-nin merely gripping the strap of her weapon a bit tighter with each second the scroll neared the barrier.

 

The scroll unraveled almost instantly before it hit the barrier, kanji scorching onto the paper. It pulsed, causing the barrier to pulse in time along with it, until finally it appeared to settle. A moment later, the scroll burned away, leaving behind only the kanji as it imprinted into the large, blue, dome-like barrier. Then even the kanji shimmered away, and they took a step back the instant it did, because almost instantly a large section of the barrier disappeared, allowing them entrance.

 

Sango chuckled when they hesitated. Grinning slightly, she yelled, “Well, come on! I don't expect to stand here all day and the barrier is not suddenly going to bite you!”

 

Ino, Chouji, and Shino moved forward, ready for the moment the barrier might decide to come crashing down upon them as they past through the opening. However, it stayed open until they had completely cleared it. Afterward they sensed that the barrier had closed once more, blocking their exit, and trapping them inside until they managed to complete the mission or fail it. Which meant finding a way to pass their sensei's defenses to grab at the ribbons she had tied to her waist.

 

Sango did not give them time to think, she merely hefted her weapon above her head and shouted, “Hiraikotsu!” She released it upon them, watching as it cut through the air, arched after they managed to escape being hit, and came back to her. She caught it with ease, her feet pressing into the ground as the weight settled back into her hand. Her eyes turned, and she swung the weapon again to cut off the path that Ino had taken, before turning her head to watch the boys as they closed in. A smirk appeared on her face when Shino neared, because he was forced away when her Hiraikotsu came sailing back toward her at his back.

 

Chouji nearly got a hit in, but she brought the giant weapon up to block his attack. He pulled back to grip his shoulder, since he had not expected for it to suddenly open again after this short of time. He had thought Ino would do an excellent job in sealing it, but he guessed that he should not have mouthed off to her now. At least if he had not, she might have healed him properly and he would not be bleeding once again. Then again, it might be because that weapon was a lot tougher than he expected and he had put a bit more force than he should have behind his attack.

 

Ino landed at his side, “Are you alright, Chouji?”

 

He gave her a look, “I'm bleeding, Ino.”

 

She bristled, “I can see that! I don't see why it opened up again. I was sure that I performed the jutsu right, but I guess I'll have to try again. Hold still, ok.”

 

He nodded, allowing Ino to push at his clothing and pull the bandages from the wound. Her hand settled over the wound after a moment, and he could feel the chakra working to reseal the wound once more. He nodded at her work after she was done, and said, “Looks good.”

 

Ino rolled her eyes. “Just tell me if you somehow manage to open it again, ok.”

 

Sango cast her eyes over the bugs beginning to surround her. Quickly, she thrust the end of her Hiraikotsu into the ground and though a few of the bugs were attracted to her chakra, she performed the jutsu. She reached back and grabbed ahold of her Hiraikotsu within seconds afterward, chakra swarming into the weapon, as she pulled it from the ground and swung in a circle in her hand. Fire blossomed along the outside of the weapon, cutting through the insects as they neared her. After a few moments she felt the fire trek down her arms, and it was at that moment she extinguished it, since she knew her clothing was not as resistant as her weapon.

 

She quickly brushed the remaining bugs from her clothing, though they tried to stick to her hands or arm afterward. A small, frustrated growl came from her throat, as she decided to ignore the remaining few she could not dislodge from her body. They were eating away at her chakra slowly, but it was not enough that it would slow her down unless she used a chakra draining jutsu. However, she kept her eyes trained on Shino, since she knew the insects were coming from him, and quickly flicked her eyes toward the others in case they decided to try and attack her from behind.

 

Bugs swarmed around his body, ready to do as he commanded. Already the ones his new sensei had not managed to swipe away were crawling toward the red pieces of cloth at her waist, and he sent another wave to assist them. He was not surprised at the way she used her weaponry, since she had said she was prone to using fire techniques and her friends knew her as a weapons expert. However, his new wave of insects had another purpose, as well, since he had noticed that Ino had finished healing Chouji and had moved back into the battle.

 

A silent message past between the two genin.

 

Sango narrowed her eyes, wondering what they were up to. She knew that Chouji had been healed and Ino was now standing at her back, but she wanted to know what they were planning. She had seen the way Shino moved just the smallest bit, and she seen Ino nod from the corner of her eye. However, Sango was pulled from her thoughts when she realized that Chouji had expanded his body and was now rolling directly toward her. Her eyes narrowed, because she could easily put a stop to him, but instead she jumped out of his path.

 

She landed on the ground, and turned her head when she saw that Chouji had turned and was rolling at her again. She jumped back into the air, only to encounter a cloud of insects above her head. They attached to her body, gnawing away at her chakra in larger amounts now that there were so many of them. She had not expected them to work so well together, but she supposed that this was what she got for getting the squad where two of the members had been on the same genin squad. It was just her luck, just like when she had been placed onto her genin squad with Shimizu Bankotsu and Suikotsu.

 

She landed once more, this time digging the end of Hiraikotsu into the ground. Chouji slammed into the weapon, and she heard him hit the ground after returning to his normal size. Her attention was more placed on the insects eating away at her chakra, draining her a bit more. So, she brought her hands together and went through a series of seals, muttering, “Fire Style: Consuming Flame.” As her chakra spiked, exciting the bugs, fire erupted from her body spontaneously and quickly consumed her. The bugs were destroyed quickly, even before she allowed the substitution to take place.

 

Shino glanced down, satisfaction coursing through his body when he saw the chewed off strip of cloth lying on the ground. He moved forward and bent down to retrieve it. He quickly stuffed it into his jacket, knowing that he would still need to help Ino and Chouji retrieve the piece of cloth they needed.

 

“Ino, look out!” Chouji yelled when he glanced up.

 

Ino turned around, her eyes widening a bit when she realized her sensei now stood behind her. A blade cut through her sleeve, pressing against her neck, and Ino gulped a bit. However, after she knew her actions had caused her new sensei to relax, she allowed her smirk to stretch across her face.

 

Sango narrowed her eyes, before she realized her mistake. The girl had been waiting the entire time to trap her, and she could already feel her soul being tugged at. She was already falling into darkness, though she did not fear what the Yamanaka might do with her body.

 

Chouji blinked, “Ino?”

 

Ino and Sango had stilled, staring each other in the eyes. Then, Sango lifted her head and moved away from Ino slowly. After a moment she grinned, and reached down to grab at the pieces of cloth around her waist. “Hey, Chouji!” she called. “Come over here and take this! I'm not going to hold it all day for you!”

 

Chouji blinked again, “Ino?” He was not sure when Ino had managed to use her mind transfer jutsu, but it was clear that she had. Either that or Sango was playing a very cruel joke on them.

 

Sango put her hand on her waist, and stated, “Yeah. Who did you think it was?”

 

“Well, you could warn a guy before you decide to take over another chick's body,” Chouji muttered. “That wasn't apart of the plan, so I wanted to make sure, ok.”

 

“Yeah, well—” Ino paused, as Sango's entire body went ridged. She could feel herself being forced out of the body, and wondered if Sango was like Sakura in a way. However, she only managed to drop the red piece of cloth she had before she could figure anything out. Then she felt herself falling back into her own body, her head spinning when she settled back into her own mind.

 

Sango panted, reaching down to grab onto her knee. “I'll give you that one,” she said, “but I'm not going to give you the other one.”

 

“I'm afraid, Sango-sensei,” Shino spoke up, “that you already have.”

 

Sango glanced up at him in confusion. Then she glanced back down in time to see his bugs chew the rest of the way through her third piece of cloth, allowing most of it to fall from her waist. It hit the dirt a few moments later, and she was surprised at the intelligence the genin had shown. She would have never expected a genin to think that their teammate would lose that much control in such a short amount of time. He had thought of all the possibilities and found a way to win by taking the situation into his own hands.

 

OoO

 

Inuyasha glanced around, sniffing at the air in search of those blasted genin. He knew they were close, he could smell them a mile away, but he also knew that that Nara kid would have something hidden up his sleeve. The brat was an intelligent little sucker; he would give him that, though that was about all he would give him. He had heard from Temari that he had given up during her fight with him, and in his opinion, that was a coward's move. The kid might be smart, but a shinobi's life was always surrounded by violence and a need to fight—he should have fought until he could not stand, instead of quitting.

 

His claws twitched, feeling the need to wrap around something. He preferred his Tetsusaiga, but he supposed that when he found those genin he could wrap them around a neck or two. After all, he needed to repay that Shikamaru boy for pulling his trick involving Sakura after he had had to drop his Tetsusaiga. And for that trap, since it had cost him a bit of chakra and stamina to finally break into the woods away from where the chaos was happening. He had no doubt that had come from the Nara's mind, and he really wanted to kick his ass because of it.

 

His ears twisted about on his head, trying to pick up any sounds that would tell him the exact location of his genin students. He had heard them speaking in this direction, but he doubted that Nara Shikamaru would allow them to be caught that easily. He had already figured out that his nose could pick up a scent over a good distance, much like a dog, so he had no doubt the kid would think his dog-like ears were for show. A scowl appeared on his face because of that fact, since he had always hated those all knowing geniuses'. His fucking brother was one, that blasted Higurashi wanted to be one, and in a way Miroku could become one whenever the need arose for it. He was surrounded by enough of them, so he sure as hell did not need another.

 

He huffed, because this was just another reason that he had wanted the Hyuuga and Uchiha Prodigies. They would learn quickly, and in a way they were intelligent, but they did not border on the level of intelligence that dang Nara was showing. The prodigies would give him a challenge through fists and weapons, instead of creating a trap that could stun even the highest level of shinobi because it had come from the mind of a genin. The Nara reminded him way too much of that blasted Higurashi, because she had always been the one to insist they set up a trap instead of running in swinging a sword and yelling.

 

Wench did not know what she was talking about.

 

His nose twitched furiously, as he turned his head a bit. Relying on instinct, Inuyasha moved to a tree, and stuck his nose close enough that he could easily pick up the difference in scent. He nodded after a moment, because the pink-haired kunoichi had brushed past this tree not long ago. She might have done it under the orders of the Nara, but at the moment Inuyasha was not too worried. He doubted they would be able to use his weapon against him, and he doubted that even a genius could continue to come up with high level plans all day. Eventually they would run out of crap to use in the Nara's traps, and then they would have to fall back on their physical abilities as well as their jutsu.

 

Moving forward, Inuyasha made sure to take another whiff of the air as his ears picked up the sounds around him. There was something in the air that he was sure he had smelled before, but he was not quite sure what in the world it was. It was a strong smell; something that was beginning to clog up his senses the more it entered his nose. At the moment it was not affecting him a lot, but he knew that something that could make his nose zero in on it was bad news in this form. If there was one thing he knew above all others, it was that while using his kekkei genkai, he needed to keep his nose out of things he would normally use when it was not active.

 

The snap of a twig caught his attention, and Inuyasha swung his head to the side, a feral grin forming on his face when he saw her. Sakura was standing just beyond the trees, and she looked ready to blot in the opposite direction. Really, he had not thought the girl would be stupid enough to step on something that would instantly draw his attention to her. Then again, his mind swirled, her actions could be another trap set up by Shikamaru, since any sensible shinobi would watch where they put their foot down.

 

Turning his head, he saw that Shikamaru was standing in the tree line at his opposite side. Inuyasha grinned, but confusion swam into his mind when he realized that he could not move. He watched as Shikamaru brought his hand up to scratch at his neck lightly, and felt himself do the same. “What the fuck?” he cursed, not understanding what was happening at the moment. It clicked when Shikamaru brought his hand down, his body copying the movement, to stick his hand into his pocket. “You're one of those damn shadow users that reside in Konohagakure, aren't you? I thought that your surname sounded familiar.”

 

Shikamaru sighed, but nodded. “That's right, and you were easy to trap once we managed to bring you to an area where there is less light. I could have caught you earlier, but I had to put into consideration how strong you become once you activate your kekkei genkai.”

 

Inuyasha glanced down to see where their shadows connected, and growled deep in his throat. He tried to force himself against the jutsu, and was surprised when he managed to twitch his fingers and shift his foot the slightest amount. A grin spread across his face, because he noticed the strain that his movements were putting on the Nara, and managed to lift his shaking arm after a moment. “Well,” he chuckled, “it seems you're about to figure out just how strong my kekkei genkai makes me. I can already see that you're struggling to keep me from moving, but as you can see, I can move just fine. It just feels like there are a couple of chains strapped to me.”

 

“Damn,” Shikamaru muttered under his breath. His chakra was draining faster than he had anticipated, allowing Inuyasha to slip further and further away from his control. He felt sweat beginning to form on his forehead and knew that he would not be able to hold out much longer without passing out or allowing Inuyasha freedom. And unfortunately, that moment came the second Sakura would have stuffed the herb into Inuyasha's nose, because their sensei spun on the spot, swiping his claws at her.

 

Another chuckle escaped Inuyasha's throat, “I had thought I'd need to put all my time into toughening up the kunoichi on my squad, but it appears I'll need to give you a bit of a workout each day, Nara. After all, I don't want you falling dead because I wasn't able to increase your stamina. Sure, you might do pretty well against a normal shinobi, but against one like me, you don't have a chance in hell at the moment.”

 

“Don't be so sure, Inuyasha-sensei!”

 

Inuyasha was brought out of his state of satisfaction the moment Lee's foot connected with his shoulder. He tried to keep himself upright, and he would have been able to if it was not for the power and weight behind the kick. He knew from looking at the kid that he did not weigh that much, which meant he was packing extra weight somewhere on his body. Inuyasha was forced to the ground, though, and hissed when he felt the kid's fingers grip the back of his head. His face was forced downward into a patch of greenery beneath him, and the moment his nose inhaled deeply, the scent overpowered his senses.

 

For a moment Inuyasha felt dizzy, but the next thing he knew, he was drifting in blackness.

 

OoO

 

“You did very well,” Sango nodded. “Though it did take you a bit longer to trap Kirara than I had expected. However, despite that, at least now I know what areas I must help each of you with.”

 

“So, when do you want to see us tomorrow, Sango-sensei?” Ino asked.

 

“Around the same time as this morning,” Sango replied. “I want us to be able to go over a few basic things until noon, before moving onto something a bit harder to help each of you.”

 

Ino, Chouji, and Shino nodded.

 

Sango brushed her hand over her clothing, remembering the feel of doing so earlier and having bugs in her way. However, though she was sure that she officially hated anything with six or more legs, she was happy that she had gotten a group that could challenge her in a small way. Though, she would never indulge Ino with her trick for kicking her out of her mind, since that was something she had picked up while working with her sensei, Suzuki Kanna. Of course, her sensei's jutsu had been a bit more haunting, but the method worked the same way if she concentrated hard enough.

 

“Is there anything else you need us for?” Ino asked. She knew that the boys were just waiting for her to tell them they could go, and she wanted to roll her eyes at their pride. Really, how hard was it to ask whether they could leave or not.

 

Sango shook her head, “No. You may do whatever you wish. But, if you need me, I'll probably be at the apartment the Hokage is letting us stay in, or somewhere in the market with Kagome-chan. She's probably finished her test by now, and she'll probably want to look at the differences between our villages.” Sango sighed, “Which means that Temari, Kankurou, and Kazekage-sama will also be with us most likely.”

 

“And where exactly is this apartment?” Shino asked.

 

Sango blinked, “Oh, yes. Let me write it down for you.” She pulled a marker from her holster, along with a notepad that she carried out of habit. After writing down the address, she handed it to the three genin. Then, she said, “If any of the others should ask where to find Kagome-chan, Inuyasha, or the pervert, they are staying at the same place. Kagome-chan and I are sharing a room, and Inuyasha and Miroku are sharing the one across the hall. I believe that Kazekage-sama and his siblings are also staying on the same floor, should you need to know.”

 

They nodded.

 

Sango sighed at the lack of response. However, she supposed that they would learn to talk and trust each other sooner or later, though she doubted that trust would stretch very far after only two weeks. “I trust that you'll get the information around to the other genin should they need it. Kagome-chan tends to be forgetful, Inuyasha is overly brash, and Miroku forgets things the moment he sees a pretty girl. They'll all probably forget to give the information out, so I would like it if you past it along when you see them.”

 

“Will do, Sango-sensei,” Ino grinned.

 

“Good, that will be all,” Sango stated. She waved them away and decided to go find Kagome, since her friend would probably be looking for her after she was finished with her squad. Hopefully, Kagome did not decide to drag her all over Konoha once she found her, but she supposed that in the end it would serve a purpose. A shinobi should always be aware of their surroundings, and knowledge of the landscape helped a bit.

 

OoO

 

“Give me that,” Inuyasha growled, snatching Tetsusaiga from the hands of the bushy-browed genin. He quickly sheathed it and continued to scowl, because the move they had pulled was a cheap trick. Sure, his nose could become his weakness, but there was no reason to shove a bunch of herbs into his nostrils to the point he could still smell it without his kekkei genkai activated.

 

“Um,” Sakura grinned slightly, “did we pass, Inuyasha-sensei?”

 

“Whadya think?” Inuyasha snapped. He did not like having his ass handed to him by a couple of genin, and he was determined to show these brats within the next two weeks why he was the strongest jounin brought from Sunagakure. The others might argue with him that he was not, but he was damn it, and these genin would get a taste of harsh reality by the time he was done with them.

 

“Yes?” Sakura stated slowly. She could tell from how tense her new sensei was that he was extremely pissed off. She had seen him become this tense while arguing with Higurashi Kagome, Sasuke's sensei, and he clearly did not like her. So, she could only hope that he decided to calm down and see that they had only done what he had wanted them to do. They had proved that they could work together and come up with a plan to defeat even a high level shinobi, which was a good thing in her opinion.

 

“Duh,” Inuyasha snarled. “You've all frickin' passed, though that last trick you pulled was dirty. I'm goin' to have to scrub my nose for the next three days before I can even think about trying to use it again. And it's all your fault!”

 

“But we did as you commanded,” Sakura argued. She noticed that Lee was nodding at her side, obviously agreeing with her. She was not quite sure whether he was agreeing because she was right or because of his crush on her, but she was happy that someone was backing her up. Inuyasha might be a little mad that they had found a way to pass his test, but there was no reason to fly off the handle the way he was beginning to do.

 

“So,” he ignored her, “I think a punishment is in order.”

 

“How troublesome,” Shikamaru sighed to himself.

 

“Whatever it is, Inuyasha-sensei,” Lee spoke up, “I shall do it to the best of my abilities! I will take your punishment in stride, and if I do not complete it within the time you've suggested, I will do double—no, triple the original amount assigned!”

 

Sakura's eyebrow twitched at Lee's dedication. A moment ago he was agreeing with her and now he was saying that he would perform his sensei's commands no matter how ridiculous it could become.

 

“I want you three to run a hundred laps around this village!” Inuyasha snapped. “And don't think I won't know if you haven't done them. I want them all done, and when you're finished, you're to report to me. Depending on how long it took you to do it, I might decide to extend your punishment or let you go. It really all depends on how I'm feelin' at the time.”

 

Shikamaru's shoulders fell, Sakura pouted slightly, and Lee grinned at the challenge.

 

“But—”

 

“Well, what are ya three waitin' for?” Inuyasha snapped. “I'm not going to wait all day for you to get off your ass and start!” It appeared that no matter what they said, Inuyasha was going to test them until he felt like the big dog again. His pride had been wounded and he hated the fact that he had been outsmarted by a couple of genin, so he was going to take it out on them until he felt better.

 

“This is not fair,” Sakura said as she ran, “I doubt Sasuke-kun's sensei is making him do something like this.”

 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 

KibaSin: I'm very, very sorry about the wait! I completely forgot to upload this chapter on mediaminer after I uploaded it onto fanfiction.net and it is completely my fault that it took me three whole months to finally realize I'd done such a thing. So, hopefully, after I'm finished my AP English summer homework, I get off my butt and do the sixth chapter in apology.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Dictionary:

Chakra - life energy

Chuunin - journeyman ninja; middle-level ninja

Genin - rookie ninja; low-level ninja

Genjutsu - illusionary technique

Hiraikotsu - translates to “come flying skills”

Hokage - fire shadow; leader of Konoha

Jounin - elite ninja; high-level ninja

Jutsu - art; technique

Kazekage - wind shadow; leader of Suna

Kekkei Genkai - bloodline trait/limit

Konohagakure (no Sato) - Village Hidden Among Leaves

-kun - suffix used with male friends

Kunai - short throwing knife

Kunoichi - female ninja

-sama - suffix used in very high respect

Sensei - teacher

Shinobi - ninja

Shuriken - throwing stars

Sunagakure (no Sato) - Village Hidden Among Sand

Taijutsu - fighting technique (deals more with physical blows)

Tetsusaiga - Iron Pulverizing Fang